Veto override vote all about politics

EDITORIAL

Jan 04, 2018

printed 01/05/2018

Jeez, if only Maryland’s Democratic Party leaders could catch Gov. Larry Hogan and President Trump sharing a cot at Camp David. Otherwise, they’ll have to keep scrounging for something that sticks to him and in the minds of the electorate as he begins his re-election year with a public approval rating that’s still among the highest ever for any end-of-term governor in this state.

Obviously, Democratic legislators are frustrated by the prospect of Hogan becoming the state’s first two-term Republican governor, and that’s why the General Assembly’s attempt next week to override his veto of the sick pay bill will be fueled as much by politics as anything else.

More succinctly, the legislature’s leadership wants to beat him at something, even if it involves imposing a flawed measure on seasonal businesses that can’t afford it.

As resort business people have said repeatedly, the trouble with the sick pay measure as it relates to seasonal operations is that it does not consider human nature. In a perfect world, employees who expect a firm commitment from their employers would reciprocate by honoring their pledges to work the full term.

Unfortunately, that’s not how things are, especially when the enticing prospect of getting out of work — with pay — those last few days is an option.

Why General Assembly members, who are seasonal employees of the public, can’t see that is baffling. On the other hand, maybe they do get it, but care less about that than they do trying to make the moderate Republican that Hogan apparently is look more immoderate.

His mostly centrist stances, incidentally, might have something to with his continuing popularity at a time when an increasing number of voters are sick to death of the major parties responding to each other by creeping farther left and right, as if that’s going to solve all our problems.

How about this? Rather the going into this year’s legislative session as if it’s an arm-wrestling competition, delegates, senators and the governor could try to come up with something that does a better job of addressing the concerns of seasonal operations.

If that can’t happen, shouldn’t vote to override the veto. It’s a bad bill and party loyalty won’t make it better.